Daily Gospel Reflection
Join the Notre Dame family of faith. Receive God’s Word and a unique reflection in your inbox each day.
January 16, 2026
When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days,
it became known that he was at home.
Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them,
not even around the door,
and he preached the word to them.
They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd,
they opened up the roof above him.
After they had broken through,
they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him,
“Child, your sins are forgiven.”
Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves,
“Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming.
Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
Jesus immediately knew in his mind what
they were thinking to themselves,
so he said, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise, pick up your mat and walk’?
But that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth”
–he said to the paralytic,
“I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.”
He rose, picked up his mat at once,
and went away in the sight of everyone.
They were all astounded
and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
It’s easy to identify with the scribes in today’s gospel passage. They’ve heard of Jesus’ works and teachings, and so they gather in a crowd around him. The scribes hear Jesus preach the word and offer a message of forgiveness, as we do when gathered in the crowds of our parishes each Sunday.
Despite encountering Jesus on, at least, a preliminary level, the scribes hesitate to believe and place a limitation on Jesus’ power: “He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?”
We can also be tempted to place limits on the capacity or forms of God’s grace in our lives. Perhaps the Lord has called us to a particular act of service, but we doubt our ability to succeed. Perhaps we have relationships that need healing, but the wounds seem too deep. Or, like the scribes, perhaps Jesus shows us forgiveness, but we still question his authority.
When facing unsettling circumstances, I often ask myself: “Is the Lord God or not?” In other words, do I believe in a God who is no less than a providential, all-powerful Father? An affirmative response pushes me to reconsider my limited, human view of the situation and imagine the multitude of ways that God’s grace will ultimately prevail, accepting that some of them may remain hidden from my sight in this earthly life.
Let us live this day with a renewed confidence in the Lord God’s goodness and plan for us.
Prayer
Most High God, you made your dwelling among the human race. You call me to follow you in spirit and in truth, in word and deed, not merely with my lips but with my whole heart. Walk alongside me today, I pray. Give me a heart willing to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and love all things. I live for you alone. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Titian was born in the middle of the sixth century in Italy to a family of nobles. He was educated by Bishop Floriano of Oderzo and later ordained by him. He devoted himself to serving the poor, and also served as a treasurer of the diocese of Oderzo (a see that no longer exists). When Floriano was moved to another diocese, Titian was chosen the new bishop by popular acclaim. He resisted, trying to get Floriano to return, but eventually assumed the new pastoral responsibilities.
He was a devout man who modeled a holy life for his people and was known as an excellent preacher. Many miracles were said to have occurred at his tomb in Oderzo, and a small relic from St. Titian rests in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
The main body of his relics are the subject of an interesting story. When Oderzo was sacked by invading forces, people from the saint’s hometown of Eraclea tried to steal his relics, which were kept in a bronze urn. A fierce battle between people from Eraclea and Oderzo erupted over the relics and both towns agreed to a unique solution. They placed his relics in a wagon pulled by oxen, and decided that wherever the oxen stopped is where his relics would be housed. The oxen stopped in a town called Ceneda, and his relics remain there today.
St. Titian of Oderzo, you were the faithful bishop who led his people by word and example—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Titian of Oderzo is available for use under a Creative Commons license. Last accessed November 14, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
_-_Chapel_St_Mauro_-_San_Tiziano,_vescovo_di_Oderzo.jpg){kind=link}